UN's Amos still waiting for permission to visit Syria

The United Nations' humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said on Friday she was still waiting for permission from the Syrian authorities to visit Damascus to seek access for humanitarian relief.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday he would dispatch Amos to Syria "soon" to try to secure access for aid workers, but Amos said Damascus had yet to respond, despite a worsening humanitarian situation. "We are waiting to hear," Amos told Reuters in London. "I very much hope it will be in the next few days...I am ready to go at a moment's notice." (Reuters)